Christ Leads The Way

“Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.” Joshua 7:11

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Defining What Truly Matters

What do you possess that’s most valuable to you? Is it your house? Your degree? Your bank account? Or is it your family? Perhaps it’s your life? We place all kinds of value on things. Some have sentimental value – others, financial. Yet, there are some things that have high value that we can’t put a price tag on or even label it with a feeling.

We all sometimes have a memory lapse when it comes to what’s most important – especially when we get caught up in life’s workings. The Bible recounts one such man who apparently experienced temporary amnesia: Achan.

A Cautionary Tale of Spiritual Amnesia

Before God sent Joshua and the Israelites to seize the city of Jericho, He specifically told them not to take any of the accursed things, and that if they did, they would become accursed and bring trouble on all the people (Joshua 6).

But Achan must have forgotten what the Lord said. Or maybe he forgot what the Lord had done for him and the children of Israel – feeding them manna and quail in the wilderness and letting them cross over the Jordan River on dry ground. He had to have forgotten that God was and is a provider and worth more than any of the spoils he could acquire in war.

Otherwise, Achan would not have disobeyed God and sought value in things other than Him.

The High Price of Shiny Spoils

The Lord revealed to Joshua that someone in the camp had sinned. He said, “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff” (Joshua 7:11).

When Achan was found to be the one who disobeyed God, he confessed, saying, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them” (Joshua 7:20-21).

Achan saw silver, gold, and beautiful garments, but he lost sight of the blessed Creator who made it all. And it cost him his life and his family’s lives. They all died. Achan traded his life and his family’s for silver, gold, and pretty garments – things that are temporary and are fairly inexpensive in comparison.

He learned the hard way that everything that’s gold is not always good.

What’s Glittering in Your Life Today?

We can be guilty of doing what Achan did and let what looks good and appealing make us sin and lose things and people who are very precious and valuable.

What’s glittering in your life today – teasing you to forget God’s commands and sin? What’s the gold that’s tempting you to place more value on it than your soul and the lives of those you love?

Whatever it is for you, that shiny, gold object can prove to be more costly than its own weight. Don’t let it destroy you and your relationship with the Lord.

Choosing Truth Over Temporary Traps

You can choose to obey the Lord, to hold to His teachings and His promises. Don’t get caught in the trap of obtaining materialistic, temporary things…or people…that can lead you down the wrong path. Sometimes it means choosing to stay home when others are going to ungodly places or doing ungodly things. It may also mean getting a trusted friend to hold you accountable.

I just want you to remember that everything gold isn’t always good.

I’m curious: how do you combat the temptation to sin when the enemy makes it extra appealing to you to partake? Let us know in the comments below. Maybe your way of dealing with shiny gold can help someone else in their journey.

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